Pa Ranjith to co-produce first cinematic collaboration between Papua New Guinea and India titled ‘Papa Buka’

Helmed by Indian filmmaker Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran, the film stars Ritabari Chakraborty and Prakash Bare

Director and producer Pa Ranjith has announced that he will be co-producing a film titled Papa Buka which will mark “the first cinematic collaboration between Papua New Guinea and India”. The filmmaker took to X to share the news along with the film’s poster.

Helmed by Indian filmmaker Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran, the film stars Ritabari Chakraborty and Prakash Bare. According to Variety, “The film will follow Indian historians Romila and Anand who go to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to write a book about the Indian soldiers who fought with the British and Australian armies against the Japanese during WWII in the country. They find 80-year-old war veteran Papa Buka who serves as a guide to take them to remote jungle villages to meet his compatriots and record their reminiscences of the war. The journey throws up some unexpected events.”

Neelam Productions and Silicon Media from India are bankrolling the film alongside Native Arts And Fashion Academy (NAFA) Productions in Papua New Guinea. Cathy Angeline Mereun Sike, Pa Ranjith and Prakash will be the producers of the film with the execution managed by Parul Agrawal and Adhya Prasad.

Papa Buka will go on floors in mid-July 2024 in Papua New Guinea. Director Damodaran, known popularly as Dr. Biju, is known for his award-winning works like Veyilmarangal (Trees Under The Sun, 2019) and Painting Life (2018).